The invention relates to methods of producing electro-optical elements and, in particular, to methods of producing solid electrochrome elements.
Electrochrome elements are employed in light intensity modulation systems and, in particular, they can be used to make gates for passing and reflected light modulators, electrically and optically controlled transparencies, segment and matrix displays, optical data input and output devices, optical memory systems, silverless photoplates and other optoelectronic devices.
A solid electrochrome element is made as two electrodes with a layer of an electrochrome material and a layer of an insulation material being located therebetween.
There is known a method of producing a solid electrochrome element, consisting in that a conducting substrate which serves as one electrode is at first covered by a layer of an insulating material, which is from 0.001 to 1.0 microns thick, then by a layer of an electrochrome material, which is from 0.1 to 100 microns thick, and finally by a layer of a conducting material, which is about 100 A thick, by means of thermal vaporization at a vacuum of 10.sup.-5 mm Hg (cf., for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,941).
This method is deficient in that the elements made in conformity therewith possess long coloring and decoloring periods, which are from 30 seconds to several minutes at relatively high voltages from 2 to 10 volts.